Netanyahu says Israel will emerge as Middle East’s ‘strongest power’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would emerge from its current military campaigns as the strongest power in the Middle East, while outlining security, military and economic priorities during an interview at the Beka’a Conference on Thursday.
“We have never been stronger,” Netanyahu said. “But we still face, first and foremost, the weakened Iranian regime. The nuclear threat is still there.”
He said Israel’s campaign against Iran was not yet complete and revealed he remains in frequent contact with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We still need to complete the mission. I speak with President Trump about this every day - almost every day, every two days. We still have work to finish,” he said.
Netanyahu also highlighted the growing threat posed by drones, citing Iran’s Shahed drones and more advanced systems under development.
“I have no doubt that here too we will become the first country in the world to truly deliver a solution,” he said, referring to drone defence capabilities.
Turning to the war in Gaza, Netanyahu claimed Israeli forces had expanded their control over the territory.
He said the Israel Defense Forces now control about 60 percent of Gaza, up from 50 percent, and that he had instructed the military to increase that figure to 70 percent.
“We are squeezing them from every direction. We will deal with the remnants,” he said, referring to Hamas.
Netanyahu also outlined a broader vision for Israel’s role in regional energy networks, predicting that future oil and gas routes would increasingly connect the Gulf to the Mediterranean through Israel.
“We can further strengthen Israel’s power and truly turn ourselves into a global player,” he said.
On domestic policy, the prime minister said he had instructed officials to establish new communities as part of efforts to expand settlement and development projects across what he described as the Land of Israel.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
